Changeable price tag



May 5, 1930. s. SINGER .QHANGEABLE PRICE TAG Filed May 22, 1928 IN1/E' NT05.

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Patented May 6, 1930 `PA'rENT OFFICE SAMUEL SINGER, F SAN FRANCISCO,CALIFORNIA.

CHANGEABLE PRICE TAG Application filed May 22,

My invention relates to improvements in changeable price tags wherein aplurality of superimposed price designating members are independentlymovable from a normal displaying position in back of windows formed in ahousing, to concealed positions within a closed portion of the housing.

The primary object of my invention is to provide an improved price tagwherein the price indicating characters may be easily and quicklychanged to indicate a desired price.

Another object is to provide an improved price marking device whereinthe price marking elements are arranged in superimposed relation and areindependently movable to a concealed position to facilitate the displayof desired characters.

A further object is to provide an improved device wherein slidablymounted price marking'members are normally held in either a normaldisplay position or a concealed inoperative position, and provided withimproved means for returning the members from inoperative to normalposition.

26 Another Objectis to provide an improvedV device of the characterdescribed having supporting means which may be adjusted to support thedevice in various positions and folded to an inoperative positionl whendesired.

30 A still furtherobJect is to provide an improved device of simplifiedand improved construction which4 can be manufactured economically andwhich is practical and etlicient in service.`

85 I accomplish these and other objects by means of the improved devicedisclosed in the drawings forming a part of the resent applicationwherein like characters o reference are used to designate similar partsthroughout the specification and drawings,

and in which- Fig. 1 is a front elevation of my improved price tag; y

Fig. 2`is a front elevation with the front plate and the price markingmembers removed;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section, the figure being drawn upon a largerscale;

Fig. 4 is a very much enlarged broken sectional detailshowing the mannerin which 1928. Serial No. 279,636.

the price marking members are engaged and h eld in either a normal orconcealed position;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation2 showing the manner in which the device 1ssupported upon 55 a plane surface; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional detail showing the manner in which theedges of the housing are secured together.

Referring to the drawings the numeral 1 60 is used to designate ingeneral a housing formed from a strip of suitable sheet metal doubled toform front and back portions and having edges secured in overlappingrelation, as at 2, along the sides and top of the housing. Windows 3 areformed in the front of the housing, preferablywithin the upper portionthereof, the lower portion being closed across the front and having tabs4 struck outwardly therefrom.

A plurality of price marking members 6 are slidably mounted within thehousing adj acent each window 3, said members being provided withsuitable price indicating characters 7. The members 6 are normallyplaced 75 in superimposed relation directly in back of each window 3,and the characters 7 preferably consist of digits arranged in order from1 to O. The members 6 are arranged to be moved independently downwardinto the 8D closed lower portion of the housing, the movement of eachmember causing said member to be concealed and the member immediately inback thereof to be displayed through the adjacent window 3. The housingis prefer- S5 ably longitudinally partitioned to prevent the members 6associated with one window 3 from interfering in any manner with the'movement of the members 6 associated with the adjacent window 3. Themembers 6 are held in either a normal position within the top of thehousing in back of the windows 3, or in concealed position within thebottom of the housing by means of oppositcly disposed spring fingers 8and 95 9 struck from a plate l1 mounted within the back of the housing.The free ends of the fingers 8 struck from the upper portion of theplate are curved forwardly as at 12 and are arranged to engage the loweredges of the members 6, said fingers 8 and curved ends .12 operating tonormallyrhold the members in superimposed relatiomwithin the upperportion of the housing. The lower fingers 9 are sprung forwardly and"the free ends curved rearwardly as at 13 to cooperate with the curvedportions 12 in supporting the members 6 in normal position. The fingers9 are arranged to be pressed back as the members 6 are moved downwardlyinto the lower concealed positions and to exert sufficient pressureagainst said members to hold the same in place. The edges of the plate11 are turned at right angles an'd fitted neatly against the innersurfaces of the overlapping edges of the front and back portions of thehousing asshown in Fig. 6. y

.A member 14 is slidably mounted within the housing adjacent the side ofeach set of slide 'members 6, said members 14 having their inner endsturned at substantially right angles to extend across the lower edges ofmembers 6 when moved to concealed position.

Each member consists of a fiat metal strip fitting closel between' thefront and back walls of the ousing and along one side of a set of slidemembers. The outer end of each member 14 extends outwardly from thehousing and shaped to form a grip whereby the member may be movedoutwardly to return slides from the `concealed position to the normalposition.

The tabs 4 struck from the closed lower portion of the housing 1 arearranged to detachably engage a suitable card 15 bearing characters 16designating the quantity, character, or other designatlon with respectto product priced, a card 15 being selected to suit any particularrequirement.

A supporting member 17 is mounted upon the bottom of the housing 1, saidmember consisting of a rod pivotally engaged within a crimped lower edgev18 formed across the bottom of the housing. The ends of the rod areturned at substantially right angles to the rod and vsharpened to formprongs 19. The prongs may be turned to outwardly extending position asshown in Fig. 1 whereby said prongs may be inserted directly into aproduct or container to be price marked, or the prongs may be turnedrearwardl to form' a support whereby the device may e rested upon aplane'surface and sup orted in inclined position, as s hownvin ig. 5.The prongs may also be turned to inoperative position against the sidesof the housing as shown in Fig. 2, when desired.

In operation, the

the edges of the housing are secured together.

vThe members 6 are normall held insuperplate 11 and the members 6 areassembled into the housing before outermost member 6 is moved downwardlyto concealed position within the lower portion of the housing, thisbeing most easily accomplished by pressing the thumb against the exposedsurface of the outer member through the window, successive members 6being thus displaced until the desired character 7 is exposed. A card 15bearing suitable characters 16 is inserted into engagement with the tabs4 immediately below the windows 3 to indicate the nature or quantity ofthe article to which the price displayed relates.

By turning the supporting prongs -to the position shown in Fig. 1, saidprongs may bev Aing the previously displlaced members 6 back to normalposition. T e member 14 provides a simple and rapid means of returningall displaced members 6 simultaneously to normal position when desired.

The members 6 are made of such a size that when a member is moveddownwardly to displaced or concealed position, the upper edge of saidmember will overlap the edges of the members still remaining in normalposition, thereby causing the members to be moved to superimposedrelation within the closed lower portion of the housing without changingtheir order.

While I have illustrated only the preferred construction of my improveddevice, and have shown only a form provided lwith two display windows 3,it is understood that the specific details of construction are subjectto modification in a number of ways, and that the number of displaywindows may be increased to any desired number if desired. I thereforedesire to avail myself of all modifications which may fall within thescope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. A price tag comprising a windowed,housingga plurality of slides provided with price designatingcharacters mounted within the housing, said slides being slidablymovable from display positions registering with a window, to concealedpositions within the housing; and a plate mounted within the houslng andhaving spring fingers struck therefrom to normally hold the slides indesired positions.

2. A price tag comprising a windowed housing; a plurality of slidesprovlded wlth price designating characters mounted within the housing,said slides being slidably mov- 'able from display positions registeringwith a window, to concealed positions within the housing; and a platemounted within the housing and having oppositely disposed spring fingersarranged to engage the slides when in displayed or concealed positionsrespectively and to hold said slides in desired positions.

3. A price ta comprising a housing having an o en price displayingwindow formed in the ront thereof; a plurality of price designatingslides mounted in slidable contacting superimposed relation within thehousing immediately in back of the window with the outermost slidedisplayed therethrou h, said slides being independently movable ypressure applied against the face of the outermost slide through theopen window to move said outermost slide from normal display position toa displaced position concealed within the housing; and means slidablymounted Within the housing for returning displaced slides simultaneouslyfrom their concealed position to the normal position.

4Q A price tag comprising a housing having an open price displayingwindow formed in the front thereof; a plurality of price designatinslides mounted in slidable contacting superimposed relation within thehousing immediately in back of the window with the outermost slidedisplayed therethrough, said slides being independently movable bypressure applied against theY face of the outermost slide through theopen window to move said outermost slide from normal display position toa displaced position concealed within the housing; and members slidablymounted within the sides of the housing adjacent the outer edges of theslides, said members havto return displaced slides simultaneously froming extensions engaging the ends of the slides when in concealedposition and also having actuating portions extending outwardly from theopposite end of the housing and movable concealed position to normalposition.

5. In a price tag, the combination with a windowed housing; providedwith members bearing price designating characters mount ed in back ofthe window and movable to display desired characters therethrough, of amember pivotally mounted upon the bottom of the housing and providedwith prongs ar- -ranged to be inserted into a product to be priced, ormoved pivotally to form a supporting base arranged to support thehousing upon or adjacent such product.

6. In a price tag, the combination with a windowed housing; providedwith members bearing price designating characters mounted in back of thewindow and movable to display desired characters therethrough, of a rodpivotally mounted across the bottom of the housing, the ends of said rodbeing turned at substantially ri ht angles and arran ed to be turnedupward y along the sides of t e housing 'in inoperative position, orturned to outwardly extending positions to support the housing upon oradjacent to an article to be riced. p 7. A price tag comprising ahousing having an open price displaying window; a plurality of slidesprovided with Yprice designating characters mounted within the housin inback of the window with the outermost s 'de displayed through thewindow, said slides being normally held in Contactin superimposedrelation and slidably movab e relatively to each other, the outermostslide being movable by manual pressure applied against the face thereofthrough the open window to move said slide into concealed positionwithin the housin said slides being independently movable w erebysuccessive slides may be moved to concealed position to display adesired slide in each window, the displaced slides being held inproximate matching relation engagin and slightly overlapping the ends ofthe sli es in normal position whereby displaced slides may be returnedto normal position in their normal order.

In witness whereof, I hereunto set my signature.

SAMUEL SINGER.

